Rick Yune

With his chiseled physique and handsome features, Rick Yune seemed a natural for working in front of the camera, but his original intention was to pursue a career on Wall Street. Born in Korea and rai...
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Olympus Has Fallen marks the first time Dylan McDermott has been involved with a choreographed fight scene. Not a fight in general — one that is specifically choreographed. Because he's been in fights before. With his dad. At a bar. When he was a kid.
After joking about his fisticuffs moment with Gerard Butler in this weekend's new action movie, McDermott steers our conversation towards a moment from his past. "I grew up in the bar business here in New York, so I actually had one big fight with what must have been 20 guys," he says. "Me and my dad, a couple bartenders. I remember in the middle of the fight, my Dad — I must have been 15 years old — looked up at me and smiled. He was very proud. It was a moment — a Christening moment."
RELATED: Gerard Butler &amp; Antoine Fuqua Are Tired of 'Precious' Action Movies
While costar and partner-in-crime Rick Yune says that a good movie throw-down is a precision exercise that never goes off the rails, McDermott suggests otherwise. He admits learning the moves is more difficult than exerting the energy necessary to pull off a fight scene, and even then, sticking to the plan isn't really part of the filming experience. As he puts it, "When you call action that all goes out the window and it becomes a real fight."
As if McDermott didn't come off enough like the renegade of the Olympus cast, he also reveals that he was the guy who showed up to set with unreasonable facial hair. I mean, if you're going to play a dastardly villain, why wouldn't you grow a mustache to twirl? "I had one recently, actually," McDermott says. "Funny enough, I grew a mustache for this movie. Then I got down there and the supervisor said I couldn't have one. He said that Secret Service agents can't have mustaches. In the FBI, you can have any facial hair that you want, but not for Secret Service." McDermott had a very good reason for thinking his character should have a mustache. "I just thought it was cool."
Just in case you're one of the many men in the world wrongfully labeled because of your handlebar, take comfort in these wise words from Dylan McDermott: "Not everyone with a mustache is a bad guy."
Truth. See McDermott tell his wild stories in his own voice by watching our full interview below:
[Photo Credit: Film District]
Follow Matt Patches on Twitter @misterpatches
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Action fans have been crying out to Hollywood for years to deliver something as gritty, heartfelt, and rip-roaring as 1988's Die Hard. Director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Shooter) has heard those calls and responded with Olympus Has Fallen, a close quarters, man-vs.-an-army thriller that gets it mostly right, thanks to star Gerard Butler's mix of swagger and innate brutality. Why it can't live up to Die Hard (what could?) is in the sensationalism of the scenario: in this version, an office building is the White House, the maniacal Hans Gruber replaced by an endless force of North Koreans bent on America's destruction. Fuqua makes the stealthy techniques of Butler's Agent Mike Banning exhilarating, but pads it with blockbuster-sized bookends and more bloodshed than your typical Saw flick. Think of Olympus Has Fallen as Die Too Hard.
After a routine mission goes horribly wrong, Secret Service agent Banning is relieved of his position as head of security for President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart). Years after the debacle, Banning finds himself thrown back into action when a group of North Korean terrorists strike D.C., hitting the White House from every direction. The introductory mayhem is one of the more gruesome set pieces in recent memory: a Korean plane swoops over D.C., firing hundreds of rounds into unsuspecting pedestrians; tourists photographing the White House rip off their coats to reveal machine guns, a frontline for the home invasion; unmarked vans throw open their doors, functioning as makeshift tanks that clear a path. It's all out war and Fuqua doesn't hold back in the reality department. The front row of the theater is a splash zone.
RELATED: Gerard Butler and Antoine Fuqua Say Most Action Movies Are 'Precious'
When the action finally hones in on Banning — who shoots his way from behind the gun-toting Korean soldiers to gain entry to the White House — Olympus Has Fallen uncovers real thrills. Butler sells the punches, the stealth, the one-liners, and the gruff patriotism — he's more Jack Bauer than John McClane, a guy who can and will do anything to accomplish the mission. You never doubt him, and even when Olympus swerves in the wrong direction — oh no, a kid lost in the White House subplot! — Butler forcefully grabs the steering wheel and drives it back on course. His character builds to make any absurdity fit the movie's mosaic of action, building with close combat attacks and an interrogation scene straight out of the 24 playbook, and escalating all the way to a bazooka shootout.
If only there was more of Butler in the movie. Olympus splits its time pretty evenly between Morgan Freeman and Angela Basset, government officials spouting every "My… God…" variation imaginable while managing the crisis from a boardroom, and Eckhart's President Asher, who spends a majority of the movie handcuffed to a railing. The terrorists bark threats of nuclear apocalypse, the suits in Washington react. It's all padding to Butler's main quest. Melissa Leo manages to light up the screen momentarily as the captured Secretary of Defense; at one point, she's dragged across the ground by her hair. Her response? Scream the Pledge of Allegiance in an act of defiance. As the movie often does, the scene crosses the disturbing line to circle all the way back to bizarre fun.
In front of the wrong pair of eyes, Olympus Has Fallen could be a provocation of jingoism. For fans looking for a slight actioner with slick production value and a Hungry-Man serving of machismo, it's passable fun. Just don't take the image of the Washington Monument being shot to bits, smashing into helpless American citizens into puddles of blood, as a call to arms.
2.5/5
Follow Matt Patches on Twitter @misterpatches
[Photo Credit: Film District]
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The Man with the Iron Fists the directorial debut of music artist RZA is clearly a love letter to all of the Wu Tang frontman's passions. An old school kung fu movie infused with hip hop beats and a comic book aesthetic Iron Fists rarely makes a lick of sense but it's a collage of imagination — and that earns it a few points. Like a cinematic version of the backyard games we all used to play RZA casts himself as a Chinese town's resident badass who teams up with a cowboy to take down an army of ninjas assassins. The freeform style allows him to run wild rarely providing actual thrills but resulting in an action movie overflowing with heart. Bloody bloody heart.
The manic script for Iron Fists written by RZA and Eli Roth (Cabin Fever Hostel) interlocks a handful of colorful characters with varying degrees of success: The Blacksmith (RZA) a freed slave who hopes to earn enough bucks to whisk his love prostitute Lady Silk (Jamie Chung) away from the Pink Blossom brothel; Madam Blossom (Lucy Liu) the brothel's owner (and local mobster); Silver Lion (Byron Mann) a murderous gangster out to overtake the city with the help of his magical metallic underling Brass Body (Dave Bautista); Zen Yi a.k.a. The X-Blade (Rick Yune) whose father was killed at the hands of Silver Lion and now seeks revenge; and Jack Knife (Russell Crowe) a mysterious British gunslinger taking residence at the Pink Blossom who may have ulterior motives. Iron Fists bounces between the plot threads without much worry — you never really know who is doing what or why. But if characters say what they're thinking with conviction then beat the daylights out of their opponent it's supposed to suffice. More often than not it does.
What Iron Fists lacks in coherency it makes up for in absurdity. RZA pumps up the volume on every element of the film from costumes that shoot daggers to flamboyant overacting evildoers to Jack Knife taking the goriest route to defeat an enemy (in this case using a knife gun to rip up a heavyset man's insides). Taking a page from mentor Quentin Tarantino's book anything can happen in this Eastern martial soap opera and everything does happen. It's money shot after money shot the rapid pace reminiscent of channel surfing — likely the way most kung fu fans stumbled upon the type of films that inspire Iron Fists back in the '70s and '80s.
Not every moment pops — unlike Liu and Crowe RZA doesn't exactly light up the screen when given the freedom to go crazy. Blacksmith is a muted mumbling character who doesn't throw himself into a fight the way a kung fu movie demands from its lead. Behind the camera the fight scenes are choreographed similarly to how the movie is structured: randomly with the occasional inspired moment. But the inventiveness of the mechanics keeps Iron Fists working. A scene with two twins using contortion to throw and kick and punch their way through hoards of bad guys is a joy. Seeing Crowe (obviously not an expert in martial arts) lay down a few moves is pure fun too.
The Man with the Iron Fists isn't as expertly crafted as Tarantino's Kill Bill but it has more mind-boggling oddities. RZA unleashes his passion into the film so even when the story or action isn't working something else on screen is.
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The unnamed husband and wife from London sued Yune, who played gang leader Johnny Tran in the 2001 movie, over allegations they agreed to buy 10 Hermes Birkin purses from him last year (11).
They claim they handed over $198,000 (£124,000) for the first eight bags, but the goods never arrived.
Yune has now filed suit against the couple, claiming the bags were given to a man who works for them in Dubai and he is owed $95,000 (£59,000) for the final two accessories, which was promised upon their delivery, according to TMZ.com.
The lawsuit was filed at Los Angeles County Superior Court and suggests the star is seething after being painted as a "criminal" by the couple.

The unnamed husband and wife from London are suing over claims they negotiated a deal with Yune, who played gang leader Johnny Tran in the 2001 blockbuster, to buy 10 Hermes Birkin handbags in October 2011.
According to the new lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the plaintiffs allege they wired $198,000 (£124,000) for the first eight bags, and promised to pay him another $95,000 (£59,000) for the final two accessories upon delivery.
The couple claims the purses were never received and Yune failed to return the cash, but a spokesperson for the star has denied their allegations - insisting the bags were delivered to one of the pair's employees, who may have taken them.
The representative tells TMZ.com, "Rick is not only a very successful actor and businessman, he is one of the most honest people out there. It's a shame someone is trying to tarnish his name and he has fallen victim to a scam."

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a decent ninja flick. When the Golden Age of Ninja Cinema (also known as the Dudikoff Era) ebbed at the close of the ‘80s the black-clad martial artists retreated to the shadows. This week director James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) aims to resurrect them with Ninja Assassin a hyperkinetic gorefest starring Korean pop star Rain.
But these ain’t your daddy’s ninjas. Though they boast the familiar wardrobe (black on black) and weapons (swords throwing stars etc.) the ninjas in this flick are thoroughly nasty buggers. Members of a super-secret international syndicate of assassins-for-hire they can dodge bullets turn invisible heal wounds and communicate telepathically. And for the low low price of 100 lbs of gold they’ll kill anyone you want no questions asked.
It’s that latter aspect that draws the scrutiny of law enforcement — specifically agents Mika Coretti (Naomi Harris) and Ryan Maslow (Ben Miles) of Europol (which appears to be a division of Interpol staffed exclusively with imbeciles). Fortunately for these hapless twits they find a potent ally in Raizo (Rain) a renegade ninja of unsurpassed ability who nurses a nasty grudge against his cruel former master Lord Ozunu (Sho Kosugi).
Fueled by childhood memories of the abuse he suffered while at Lord Ozunu’s ninja sleepaway camp Raizo will stop at nothing to bring the entire operation down. Which is good because his former chums are a persistent lot arriving in ever greater numbers to snuff out the powerful apostate.
McTeigue’s dizzying shaky-cam combined with the identical appearance of most of the ninja combatants makes the action difficult to follow at times in Ninja Assassin. It’s probably why he felt compelled to accentuate every fight scene with exaggerated bursts of CGI blood. Still as disembodied heads limbs and torsos fly across the screen in quantities not seen since Kill Bill it’s nigh impossible to determine who they belong(ed) to. Much easier to pinpoint are the glistening six-pack abs of Raizo a fighter so badass he can ward off his pursuers while wearing little more than a thin layer of baby oil.
It’s a pity Raizo couldn’t have applied his blade to the Ninja Assassin script which encumbers the first half of the movie with endless flashbacks gratuitous training sequences and pointless political squabbling. Or perhaps he could have imparted some of his skills at deception to McTeigue who exhibits all of the subtlety and unpredictability of a kamikaze pilot.
This is one ninja flick that should have remained in the shadows.

Looks like people were ready for more Middle-earth action.
As if anyone is truly surprised, the second installment of the The Lord of the Rings trilogy dominated the box office this weekend with its continuing tale about some good-hearted Hobbits who want to destroy an evil Ring, while a bunch of nasty Middle-earth denizens try and stop them.
Over the three-day weekend, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers took in a whopping $61.5 million*, towering over the number two spot captured by the new Sandra Bullock/Hugh Grant film Two Weeks Notice. The romantic comedy only managed to take in about a quarter of The Two Towers' haul at $14.4 million.
Other openers this week included another epic saga, Gangs of New York, which came in fourth with $9.1 million and the animated The Wild Thornberrys Movie, which opened strong at number six with a respectable $6.1 million.
THE TOP TEN
New Line Cinema's PG-13 rated The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers opened with an amazing three-day weekend total, ESTIMATED at $61.5 million at 3,6 22 theaters ($16, 980 per theater) and also taking in almost half of the weekend's box office (46.4 percent). Since its Wednesday, Dec. 18, opening, the film has brought in an ESTIMATED $101.5 million in total over five days.
Directed by Peter Jackson, it stars Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom and Liv Tyler.
The middle part to J.R.R. Tolkien's literary fantasy epic clearly surpassed its predecessor by nearly 25 percent. On the same weekend last year, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, which also opened on the Wednesday before Christmas, took in $47.2 million in three days. The film went on to pull in $94 million after its first five days, eventually grossing $313 million in North America and about $550 million overseas, according to Variety.
The Two Towers also posted the second highest domestic Wednesday opening ever, with a healthy $26 million, behind 1999's Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace at $28.5 million, according to New Line. Fellowship of the Ring was the previous holder of the December one-day record, opening with $18.2 million.
"We are pleased and astounded," New Line distribution president David Tuckerman told Variety of The Two Towers performance.
Warner Bros.' PG-13 rated romantic comedy Two Weeks Notice opened in second place with an ESTIMATED $14.4 million at 2,755 theaters ($5, 229 per theater).
Directed by Marc Lawrence, it stars Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant.
This romantic comedy about a corporate lawyer's love/hate relationship with her boss is Bullock's second best opening in the last five films she has made. Her best opening was this summer's Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, which opened with a strong $16.1 million and went on to gross $69.5 million domestically. Bullock's top film Miss Congeniality opened to the smaller tune of $10 million in December 2000 but grossed $106.8 million domestically, proving the comedic actress has the star power to open films strong--and keep them that way.
The third spot belonged to Sony Pictures' Maid in Manhattan, this season's other romantic comedy, which opened last weekend at number one. Falling 41 percent, it still managed to rake in an ESTIMATED $11 million at 2,866 theaters (+28 theaters; $3,838 per theater). It's cume to date is approximately $35.5 million.
Directed by Wayne Wang, it stars Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes.
Guess a historical period piece about 1860s New York can't beat Hobbits or romance. Miramax's highly anticipated R-rated Gangs of New York opened with a less-than-exciting ESTIMATED $9.1 million at 1,504 theaters ($6,064 per theater). Still, with the film's recent slate of Golden Globe nominations, the momentum should give Gangs a fair amount of shelf life.
Directed by Martin Scorsese, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis and Cameron Diaz.
20th Century Fox's drum showstopper PG-13 rated Drumline continued to boom at number five with an ESTIMATED $7.6 million (-40%) at 1,837 theaters ($4,137 per theater). The little-film-that-could about an underdog high school band opened at No. 3 last week and has so far gained a respectable $22.8 million.
Directed by Charles Stone, it stars Nick Cannon, Zoe Saldana and Orlando Jones.
Another new flick on the block this weekend was Paramount Pictures' PG-rated The Wild Thornberrys Movie, which opened in sixth place with an ESTIMATED $6.1 million at 3,012 theaters ($2,025 per theater).
Based on the hit Nickelodeon TV show, the animated film about a family of wildlife documentary filmmakers, is directed by Cathy Malkasian and Jeff McGrath and includes the vocal talents of Lacey Chabert, Tim Curry, Rupert Everett, Lynn Redgrave and Marisa Tomei.
Chortling in at number seven is Disney's PG-13 rated The Hot Chick, taking in an ESTIMATED $4.5 million at 2,217 theaters ($2,030 per theater). Dropping 39 percent, the body-switching comedy bowed last week in fifth place and has made approximately $13.7 million thus far.
Directed by Tom Brady, it stars Rob Schneider, Anna Faris and Rachel McAdams.
Warner Bros. PG-rated Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets dropped a couple of notches to No. 8 with an ESTIMATED $4.45 million (-30%) at 2,750 theaters (-275 theaters; $1,620 per theater). The second movie about our fab boy wizard and his adventures at Hogwarts has managed to eke out approximately $228.9 million in its six weeks at the box office. Not too shabby.
Directed by Chris Columbus, the film stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Kenneth Branagh, Jason Isaacs, Richard Harris, Robbie Coltrane and Maggie Smith.
The once-popular franchise seems to have lost its steam. Paramount Pictures PG-13 rated Star Trek: Nemesis continued its disappointing run, slipping from its bow at second place last weekend to ninth with an ESTIMATED $4.4 million (-76%) at 2,711 theaters ($1,623 per theater). Its cume is approximately $26.4 million.
Directed by Stuart Baird, it stars Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Tom Hardy, Ron Perlman, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden and Marina Sirtis.
Tenth place belongs to Bond, James Bond. MGM's megahit, PG-13 rated Die Another Day, continued reaping the rewards with an ESTIMATED $4 million, dropping 49 percent at 2,075 theaters (-1,302 theaters; $1,928 per theater). One of the highest-grossing Bond films ever, its taken in approximately $138.4 million so far.
Directed by Lee Tamahori, it stars Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Rosamund Pike, Toby Stephens and Rick Yune.
OTHER OPENINGS
Three of the higher-profile independent films of the season opened in limited theaters this weekend, including Denzel Washington's Antwone Fisher, Spike Lee's 25th Hour and Narc starring Ray Liotta.
Fox Searchlight's PG-13 rated Antwone Fisher opened Thursday in 15 theaters at an ESTIMATED $217,500 ($14,500 per theater). The film, about a man struggles to come to terms with his abusive childhood, is directed by the Oscar-winning Washington, who also stars along with newcomer Derek Luke. Fisher will open wide Jan. 1.
Buena Vista's R-rated 25th Hour also opened Thursday in 5 theaters and took in an ESTIMATED $109,811 ($21, 962 per theater). The intense drama focuses on a drug dealer's last 24 hours before he goes to prison and how he chooses to spend it. Directed by Spike Lee, it stars Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson and Brian Cox. The film opens wide Jan. 10.
Paramount's Narc opened in 6 theaters Friday, making an ESTIMATED $66,000 ($11,000 per theater). The gritty drama stars Ray Liotta and Jason Patric as two undercover narcotics detectives after a cop killer.
WEEKEND COMPARISONS
The top 12 films this weekend earned $132 million, up 46.4 percent from last weekend.
This time last year, New Line's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was number one at the box office with $47.2 million, while Warner Bros. Ocean's Eleven came in second with $14.7 million and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius third with $13.8 million.
*All estimates as reported by Exhibitor Relations, Inc.

The key ingredient to any Bond flick is the quasi-plausible globe-trotting plots where on more than one occasion you are asked to suspend your disbelief. This is particularly true for Die Another Day where reality assuredly takes a back seat--almost too much. The action starts in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is on an undercover mission to stop a war-loving North Korean colonel--but is found out. Cut to a high-speed hovercraft chase (is there anything James can't drive?) where Bond seemingly dispatches the colonel but ends up being captured and tortured. Agent 007 gets out and soon finds himself on a quest to find the person who set him up. All points--including some rare diamonds and a tie to genetic engineering (Note: This is one of the many moments where you say "Oh come on!")--lead to millionaire Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens) and his ruthless right-hand man Zao (Rick Yune). They eventually show him firsthand an ultimate high-tech global-warming device capable of starting WWIII if used properly. But let's not forget about the Bond girls. James hooks up with Jinx (Halle Berry) a beautiful but deadly American agent and Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike) Graves' personal assistant who is much more than just someone's flunky. It all culminates to an explosive showdown.
The dashing and good-looking Brosnan embodies the true spirit of the suave British super agent--except this time around he is finally showing a little wear and tear. Don't get me wrong Brosnan still looks great doing the stunts and wooing the women but he's getting a little long in the tooth for all this spy stuff--and it slightly detracts from the movie. Interestingly Die Another Day is one of the first times you get to see Bond tortured and beaten. It is perhaps one of the more real moments Brosnan has ever had as Bond and the 49-year-old actor handles the chores well. But it may be time for him to hang it up and move on (and the actor admits this). Berry plays the buff Jinx with relish. This Oscar-winning beauty takes your breath away from the first time you see her coming out of the water Ursula Andress-style but she manages to kick some major butt throughout the rest of the movie and loves every minute of it. Pike as Miranda Frost is another rough and tumble beauty who can spar with the best of them. It's nice to see the Bond girls getting tougher and tougher. The villains are adequately over-the-top. Stephens (who is British thesp Maggie Smith's real-life son) as Gustav Graves has a truly menacing snarl which he uses to full advantage while Yune (The Fast and the Furious) as sidekick Zao makes Goldfinger's Oddjob look like a pussycat. Judi Dench as M and John Cleese as Q always add a nice element.
Along with grandiose plots the other key factor to a good Bond movie are the action sequences. They must be fast-paced highly implausible but nevertheless spectacular. Die Another Day doesn't disappoint. Even the opening credits have a unique feel. As Bond is being tortured women dance seductively around him while Madonna belts out the theme song--it's well done. New Zealand director Lee Tamahori (Along Came a Spider) starts the film off with a pretty exciting surfing sequence (is there anything Bond can't do?) and continues the trend with the hovercraft chase scene.The best part of the movie however takes place in Graves's lair an ice palace in Iceland where Bond has to do some fancy driving on ice to escape the bad guys and rescue the damsel in distress. The entire chain of events looks amazing (save a scene with Bond parachute-surfing around--icebergs? Come on!) Day also pays homage to several early Bond films including Dr. No Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever. It's the lag time between the action where the film falters. There is far too much pontificating in this Bond film. Better to just keep to the business at hand. Only the last action sequence seems too far off-base from reality even for a Bond movie. I say that intellectually but it still keeps you on the edge of your seat watching. You can't help it.

Director Lee Tamahori says the next James Bond movie, Die Another Day, will include a steamy love scene. Whether audiences will ever get to see it, however, is another story.
According to Ananova.com, Tamahori--who helmed last year's Along Came a Spider--tells Vanity Fair magazine it will be up to the censors to decide what ends up on the cutting room floor.
"In lovemaking, Bond's PG requirements have traditionally meant you can only show post-coital sex," he told the magazine.
"You know, clothes strewn around the room, the camera slowly pans over to the bed....But we thought, why couldn't Bond have the best lay of his life? So we shot a very hot love scene. Whether it survives the censor's cut, or the producer's, we'll see."
Die Another Day, the 20th James Bond installment, stars Pierce Brosnan as 007 and Halle Berry as a U.S. secret agent named Jinx.
This time, Bond's adversary, a North Korean named Zao (played by Rick Yune), uses a device that can dramatically alter a person's features to further his diabolical plans.
The film opens in the United States Nov. 22.

Funny guy Adam Sandler has displayed a certain amount of anger in his past films, once yelling at a golf ball, "Are you too good for your home?" when it refused to go in the hole in Happy Gilmore. Jack Nicholson has played the epitome of an angry man in just about every role he's ever had, the crazy, axe-waving lunatic that he is.
Now they are starring together in Revolution Studios' film Anger Management. Where's the casting director? I want to shake his hand.
The story revolves around Sandler, who is wrongly sentenced to an anger-management program and has his life turned upside-down by the hyper-aggressive instructor (Nicholson) who rarely practices what he preaches. Well, that's just about perfect. This is gonna be a must-see movie on my list.
Filming begins mid-March, under the helm of director Peter Segal (Nutty Professor II: The Klumps).
It's a married thing, times two
It's sweet when a young married couple decides to work together. Stupid, but sweet.
Young marrieds Hilary Swank and Chad Lowe are attached to a Universal Pictures project in development called Family Trust.
Yes, Ms. Boys Don't Cry Oscar-winner and her husband Chad, brother of Rob and second-tier television actor, are teaming up in their first film together to bring us the heartwarming story of a young, self-made Jewish finance executive (Swank) and a preppie playboy (Lowe), and how they end up guardians of a precocious four-year-old.
Here's the catch: they proceed to fall in love without realizing it. Dammit, I hate that when that happens--sneaking up on a person like that.
I've got another one for you. Cutesy couple Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon, both pretty hot right now in the Hollywood circuit, are in development with Working Title Films on their first film called Flying Smiths.
The premise is completely outrageous: an ambitious trapeze artist's dreams are crushed when a tiger scratches out one of his eyes (ouch). Said trapeze artist then travels to Italy to obtain a glass eye (Italy is good for glass eyes, I guess) but is thwarted again when a small child swallows the perfect "eye". The mother of said child and the trapeze artist eventually fall in love.
Of course they fall in love. Why else make the movie?
Why, indeed. I'm betting this one won't ever get made--but I'll be the first in line to see it if they do; it sounds right up my alley.
Bond's newest foe
Watch out, Mr. Bond. There's a new enemy to face--literally and figuratively. Actor Rick Yune, hot off his turn in last summer's sleeper hit The Fast and the Furious, will be taking on the reins as the newest villain in MGM's latest James Bond installment, with Pierce Brosnan once again playing 007.
Even though the actual plotline is being kept tightly under wraps, we know that Yune will star as a North Korean general named Zao, who creates a device enabling facial mutation. I was wondering when they were going to use the whole "facial mutation" thing in a movie. It's about time.
In using the device on himself, however, the experiment goes awry and leaves Yune half-changed. Yuck. Hope he had warranty on it. Apparently, the handsome actor will have to undergo major makeup and prosthetic use to create the character, but will he get a cat? That's what I want to know.
From a nobody to a somebody?
Actress Ellen Pompeo (In the Weeds) has been pegged for not one, but two high profile DreamWorks projects.
First, she'll star opposite Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell in Old School about three men who attempt to recapture their college days. Pompeo plays Wilson's lifelong love interest.
Second, she is in talks for a role in Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks about Frank Abagnale Jr., the youngest man to be on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List. Pompeo would play Marci, a flight attendant to whom Frank loses his virginity. Lucky her.
O.K., who is Ellen Pompeo again? Apparently, she's someone whose about to be a big name soon enough.

Title

Cast opposite Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu in martial arts film "The Man with the Iron Fists," directed by RZA

Guest starred on ABC spy drama "Alias"

Became first Asian-American featured in advertisements for Versace and Ralph Lauren Polo

Worked in Wall Street as stock trader; took acting classes in spare time

Appeared as a district attorney on "Another World" (NBC)

Discovered by a modeling agent while interning at a Wall Street firm

Played a North Korean terrorist in action thriller "Olympus Has Fallen"

Made guest appearance on Lifetime series "Any Day Now"

Cast as villain Zao in "Die Another Day" opposite Pierce Brosnan's James Bond

Co-starred as the leader of a Vietnamese gang in "The Fast and the Furious"

Made feature film debut in "Snow Falling on Cedars" as a Japanese-American war hero accused of murder in post-WWII Pacific Northwest

Appeared in action-thriller "Ninja Assassin"

Summary

With his chiseled physique and handsome features, Rick Yune seemed a natural for working in front of the camera, but his original intention was to pursue a career on Wall Street. Born in Korea and raised in the Washington, DC, area, he was enrolled at Wharton when a modeling agent "discovered" him in the elevator of the financial firm at which he had a summer position. Impressed with Yune's charisma and natural good looks, the agent managed to land the novice model some impressive gigs. Yune became the first Asian-American to appear in campaigns for Versace and Ralph Lauren's Polo. One might have thought that acting would be the inevitable step, but instead the model accepted a position as a stock trader when he graduated in 1994.